In the Light of a Promise
by XWingAce
Summary: John Constantine has messed up an exorcism, releasing the demon. It's chasing him across the country, killing people close to him. As he passes through LA, the case catches Lucifer's attention. The Devil catches up to Constantine in Star City. Too bad Lucifer has promised Chloe to deliver the killer to the authorities unharmed... 3-way crossover with Constantine, Arrow and Lucifer.
1. Speak of the Devil

Ella was waiting for them outside the crime scene. "Hey. You might want to wear these," she greeted them. She held out two packets of bright blue plastic shoe covers. The kind usually worn by the forensics team while they were still processing the scene.

"Whyever would I do that?" Lucifer asked, eyeing the things with distaste. Maybe they clashed with his suit or something. Chloe took one of the packets and put them on. If Ella was advising to wear them, she must have a good reason.

"You'll see." Ella shrugged as Lucifer refused the covers a second time and waved them in.

The scene inside forced Chloe to pause and close her eyes. She swallowed back the rising gorge. Although the temptation was great to take a deep breath, instead she tried to keep it as shallow as possible. No need to get a good whiff of _this_ scene.

"Oh my," was Lucifer's immediate comment. "Someone knew what they were doing."

The victim was… butchered. Literally. Her torso hung in the centre of the room, dangling from the light fixture. Most of her organs and limbs were arrayed on various items of furniture. The head was prominently displayed on the dresser. Her eyes had been gouged out.

And blood was _everywhere_. Where the carpets and soft furnishings weren't soaked, they had bloody streaks running all over them.

"Victim is probably Helena Marquez," Ella supplied. She nodded at the skull. "We'll have to wait for dental records to confirm"

Chloe took the notes from the officers that had been first on scene. She read their conclusions. "But this is her house, and she was confirmed to be here the day before yesterday. She took takeout delivery. For two." The very thought of food right now made her pause and suppress the urge to retch.

"Her heart is missing," Lucifer observed. He'd taken a turn around the room, inspecting each of the items on display. He was remarkably unaffected by the gore. Or perhaps he was better at hiding his disgust.

"Good catch, Lucifer! Yeah, we're still trying to find it." Ella seemed unaffected, as well. But then you didn't become a forensics specialist without a strong stomach.

A thought occurred that did make her retch. She coughed to cover it. "You don't think whoever did this took a trophy, do you?"

-x-

Helena Marquez turned out to be one of a whole streak of victims. She wasn't even the first – only the first in LA. Reports came in, from all over the state and outside it. Men and women, but mostly women, found killed and butchered in their own homes. The heart was missing every time.

At least there was a chance for more patterns to emerge.

Most of the victims were living on their own. In the two cases where they _weren't_ there had actually been two victims – both members of the household. In several cases, however, a man had been seen at the victim's home a few days before.

The description of their suspect was narrowing down. Male, average height and with blond or light brown hair. We was usually seen wearing a beige trenchcoat despite the California weather. A smoker. British or Australian accent.

Today the breakthrough had come. They got CCTV footage from San Diego taken a few days before the murder. It showed the couple that had been murdered there. They were together with a man matching the description of their suspect. An actual image, finally. Lucifer had looked confused when he saw the picture. But he'd provided a name. A name that turned out to be correct.

The state-wide APB went out that day. For John Constantine.

-x-

"Where do you know this guy from, anyway?" Chloe asked. Lucifer was reading the case notes for the Constantine case again. He was somehow lounging in the office chair opposite her desk, feet propped up next to the stack of casefiles.

The case had passed from their hands. John Constantine was travelling all over the state. They were still getting the APB reports. Because the crime scenes were so spread out, the FBI was muscling in on the case, too. Unless Constantine came back to LA, it was unlikely they'd ever get their hands on him.

But Lucifer remained oddly interested in the case, regardless. He looked up. "Oh, I don't know him personally. He had a lot of dealings with some … associates of mine," He paused while Chloe frowned. "Caused quite a lot of upset, as a matter of fact." He went back to studying the crime scene photos. "But this seems…rather unlike what I'd heard of him."

"Well, we'll find out when someone arrests him."

"By all accounts, he's rather good at avoiding that situation. I mean, look at this." Lucifer indicated the reports that had piled up. "It seems unlikely that the authorities will ever lay hands on him."

"We can't put a bounty out on a _suspect_ , Lucifer."

" _You_ can't." Lucifer's phone beeped. He checked the text, then closed the folder. His feet hit the ground as he levered himself out of the chair. "Some business came up. I'll be out of town for a few days."

Chloe frowned. The way Lucifer had said 'business' combined with the context of their conversation was ... suspicious. "This business doesn't have anything do with our case, does it?"

Lucifer hesitated. "There's someone a friend thought I should meet. I'm going to meet him."

That wasn't a no. She reached out a hand to stop Lucifer from walking out the door. "Lucifer, please turn Constantine in if you find him. Don't do anything… impulsive."

Lucifer looked at her for a long while, poker face in place. "If it should come to that, I will deliver the killer to the authorities, Detective. I promise."

"Alive, and unharmed, yes?"

"Alive," Lucifer said through his teeth. "And as unharmed as I can manage." He tore loose, and was gone.

-x-

John Constantine sighed as he got off the bus at the Star City depot. It hadn't been his first choice to come here. He had too many friends here already and this would bring trouble straight to their doorstep. But he was fast running out of places to run.

He'd buggered an exorcism, materialising the demon instead of casting it out. The little girl that had been possessed was fine. The same could not be said of the priest who had called John in. Nor of the woman who'd been kind - _stupid_ \- enough to open her doors to him. John had barely gotten away from the demon that time. And now he had to keep running. Every time he stopped anywhere, the people he came into contact with ended up dead.

Par for the course for John Constantine. But this was getting ridiculous.

Hopefully he could avoid Oliver and his lot here – they had enough trouble to get on with. Shouldn't be too hard. Fugitives rarely had anything to do with the people aspiring to the Mayor's office, after all.

Someone was waving at him. Oliver Queen. Looked like the politician was choosing to have something to do with the fugitive anyway.

"Bloody hell, Oliver, what are you doing here?" John asked him when he got close enough.

"Hello to you, too, John." Oliver held up a file. "Quentin told me you might be showing up. Looks like you're in some trouble." Constantine took the file. It was a police APB with his picture. And a list of his recent stops as symbolised by names of victims. The arrow pointed quite clearly at Star City.

"What did you get yourself into, John?"

"Something nasty that I need to get myself out of on my own, Oliver. I can't involve you. I'd get you killed."

Oliver shook his head. "Too late, John. It's not just the police. The Russians had people looking out for you, too. I'm here to make sure you stay off everyone's radar. He stood aside, gesturing John toward the exit.

They got out of the bus station quickly and quietly. So far, so good. Oliver still had his contacts and his hideouts. He also knew exactly how to avoid all the security cameras.

They had stopped off at a minor hideout to give Oliver the chance to change into his Arrow outfit. It meant he was armed, and even if they _did_ get caught on camera, it wouldn't show his face. The Green Arrow had been associated with John Constantine before. Oliver Queen hadn't. At least not in public.

They were now at yet another safehouse. "You should be fine here for tonight," Oliver said. "Tomorrow we can figure out how to get you out of town unnoticed."

"That'd be great. I really just need some place to lay low."

This place should be safe enough. It was in one of Star City's infamous industrial back alleys. It was dark, which was less ideal. But it was also abandoned and strewn with rubbish, and that should allow him to hear any threat coming at least.

Or not.

"Game's over, Johnny-boy. Better come quietly, now." A voice called out from the shadows. John looked up. There was something familiar about that voice.

Oliver was already moving away from him, into the shadows. His bow was drawn back, arrow at the ready.

"I must admit, you've been a bit bloodier even than I'm used to from you," the voice from the shadows continued. The source of the voice was now stepping into the light. John cursed and threw the strongest shield he could get together at such short notice.

The figure, tall, dark-haired and dressed as sharp as a freshly whetted knife, didn't even flinch. He just stepped through the spell. What else could you expect of the Devil himself? Looked like that demon he'd been evading had called in the big boss. John backed away.

No use. There was no escaping this. Didn't mean he couldn't try. Oliver bellowed a stop order, but John couldn't tell who it was aimed at. He turned tail and ran.

Right into Satan's arms. John hadn't seen him move. Neither had Oliver. An arrow flew uselessly through the air where the Devil had been only a moment ago.

"How do you do it, Constantine?" Satan asked as he lifted John by the collar. "How do you get people defending you, all the while leaving a trail of people you killed?" He reached out with the hand that wasn't holding John in the air and plucked a second arrow out of flight.

Satan dropped the arrow and turned his gaze on Oliver. "Please cease your nuisance, Robin Hood. I'll deal with _you_ later."

He turned back to Constantine. John hoped Oliver would take the hint and get out, get help. Like an exorcist or three. "Now tell me, Johnny-boy. Why did you kill those people? What did you want with them?" He could feel the power behind the questions, compelling truth.

Well, that was an easy answer, at least. Constantine looked the Devil in the eye and said: "I _didn't_ kill them, you wanker." Then he spat Satan right in the eye.

The grip on John's collar remained undiminished, but John's words _did_ have an effect. Satan looked… surprised. His eyebrows shot up. "You… didn't?" He held John gaze while wiping the spit off his face. Then he let John down, though he didn't let go yet. "You really didn't. Then why?"

"You tell me," Oliver said in his Arrow voice. His silhouette was outlined in the alley entrance. He had an arrow nocked and aimed at the Devil. Thea and the other woman – Laurel – were on the rooftops, flanking the both of them. "Let him go and we can talk."

The Devil… started laughing. "I'd heard stories of the Star City vigilantes! Didn't think I'd get a full intro, though." Now he did release John, addressing him at the same time. "You keep interesting company."

Constantine stepped back, massaging his throat. Satan paid him no further mind. Good. That gave him time go get a proper spell set up. He had most of the ingredients already together. That was a stroke of good luck. He'd intended them to trap the demon after him, but they should do to hold the Devil long enough to get away, at least

Of course, the only reason John had freedom to move now was because Oliver was drawing all the attention. The Devil sauntered toward him, undeterred by the arrow aimed at his chest. Well, he'd plucked one out of the air earlier – not like these things did a lot of damage. "So, what do we have here, then? One Robin Hood, looking for his Sherriff." He turned his head, catching Thea in his sights. "And there's Will Scarlett! Though it's Wilhelmina rather than William by the looks of it." Now Laurel came to his attention. "Does that make you Maid Marian?"

All this talk had taken him into Oliver's hand-to-hand range. Oliver dropped his bow and went for a punch while Satan was distracted by Laurel. It didn't matter. The Devil caught the punch in a single hand, focus back on his assailant.

His other hand grabbed Oliver's chin, forcing him to look into the Devil's eyes. "So what does Robin want, eh?" He looked Oliver over, slowly. "What drives a man to dress up in green leather? Not that it's not attractive."

"Go to hell," Oliver ground out.

"Been there, done that, I'm afraid," Satan said. Somewhere behind Constantine, yellow lightning flickered. It added nicely to the atmosphere. "But we're not talking about _me_ now. What do _you_ want?"

Oliver stopped struggling. Before he could say more, Laurel triggered some sort of sonic weapon. It threw the Devil off balance, even as Oliver crumbled with him.

And that was the last Constantine saw, as the bolt of lightning whisked him away.

-x-

 _How's your business going?_

Splendid! My contact's friends have very… surprising skills. This could be quite entertaining.

 _Do I want to know?_

… Probably not.

-x-

For a short time, it was hard to get any kind of impression, except _movement_.

When the world returned, Constantine was somewhere else. Oliver's den. The crackling lightning had already abandoned him. Now it delivered Oliver, Thea and Laurel in turn, all before Constantine managed to find his balance.

"What the bloody hell?"

The lightning bolt resolved itself into a person reclining into one of the den's expensive swivel chairs, feet resting on the console. "Hi," he said, giving a little wave "I'm Barry." He was dressed in red leather, of a much brighter variation than Thea. A cowl hung off the back of his tunic. "And you're welcome, by the way."

"John Constantine, meet Barry Allen. Otherwise known as the Flash." Oliver moved up to make introductions. "Your friend was moving so fast earlier, I thought I'd bring in our own speedster."

"That wasn't a speedster, mate." Constantine pointed in the general direction of the door, all other directions lost in the muddle. "And I'll bet we only got away because we _surprised_ him." He headed toward the door, digging in his pockets for his spell supplies. "This is the only entrance, yeah?" He drew a circle on the floor inside the door, and started adding candles and runes at strategic points.

"Whoa, what the hell is this?" Barry spoke up. He clearly knew as much about John as Constantine knew about him.

Thankfully Thea did know Constantine, so she filled Barry in. "It's a magic circle."

"Magic? As in 'sufficiently advanced technology'?" Barry got up out of the chair to inspect John's work. Oliver stood aside for him.

John put the finishing touches on his circle and murmured the closing spell under his breath. The circle lit up. "Magic as in magic." At Barry's sceptical frown, he continued. "We're dealing with forces beyond our control here." He gave the circle another once-over, inspecting it for flaws. "Even this won't hold him long."

"Care to tell us what we're dealing with, John?" Oliver asked. "Because what he did to me felt… strange."

"Lucky you." John looked Oliver straight in the eye as all four of the others gathered around him. "You went up against the Devil himself. A strange feeling is the least he could have caused." Oliver's eyes widened.

"The Devil." Barry stated baldly.

"He looked pretty normal," Thea said at about the same time. "I mean, so does Damien Dahrk, but this guy didn't look all that different."

"We know that Darhk doesn't need to look threatening either," Laurel reminded Thea. "Looking normal doesn't have to mean anything."

"Darhk… feels darker, though," Thea replied, frowning. "I mean he was attacking a friend, so something's up but…" She paused. "I don't know."

"Hold up." Barry interrupted. "You really do mean the Devil? Satan, horns and a tail, Lord of Lies and all that?"

"Speak of him and he shall appear, indeed," a new voice said.


	2. Vows, Promises and Favours

"Speak of him and he shall appear, indeed," a new voice said. It came from the central console area, where Barry had lounged in the swivel chair earlier.

The swivel chair was now occupied by someone else. Satan sat in it as if it were a throne, legs folded and hands stapled together. "Although the rest of it is a foul slander."

Constantine had to give it to them, the whole team sprang into action. Thea still had her bow and she snapped it up and loosed an arrow in the time it took John to blink. Oliver dove for his own weapon. Laurel let out another scream and Barry… vanished, moving too fast to see.

In the next instant, it was all over. John hadn't seen the swivel chair start to move, but it came to a stop now as if it had completed a full revolution. Thea's arrow was sticking out of the back. Barry lay sprawled on the floor as if something had tripped him up.

And the Devil was inspecting the mirror polish on his left shoe for scuffs. He tutted over a minor imperfection, then turned to Barry. "Please. I existed before time began. You think slowing it down is going to do anything to me?"

He got up out of the chair and held out a hand to forestall Laurel, who was preparing another scream. "I would prefer if you didn't, dear. I hear worse at Lux every night but it does make it hard to talk.

"Now, where were we?" The Devil approached Oliver. "Oh yes. Robin Hood is Oliver Queen! That's a juicy piece of gossip for the rags. But you didn't answer my question earlier, Mr. Queen. He caught Oliver's eyes. "What drives you to put on the mask? What do you _truly_ desire?" He closed in further on Oliver who was still caught in his gaze.

Satan was completely ignoring John for the moment. John had spent most his power on the circle lying uselessly in front of the door. The door the Devil had somehow completely bypassed, but he did have some surprises left. He stepped aside, choosing a position that put Satan between John and the trap circle.

Oliver, meanwhile, was struggling. By the set of his jaw, he was grinding his teeth together trying to keep his mouth shut. He blinked, faster and faster, but couldn't keep his eyes closed or avert them. "I want to… save this city," he eventually ground out. "For Felicity," he then continued at a more normal tone. He almost sounded relieved. "She lost the use of her legs because of me, and she still wants me to go on."

The Devil snorted. "Guilt. Of course." He sniffed and pulled a face, like an aristocrat confronted with an unpleasant smell. "This whole room is thick with it." He stepped away from Oliver, passing behind Laurel and Thea. Neither of them dared to meet his eyes. John cursed silently. His chance was gone.

Barry was getting up in the background, but Satan ignored him. Instead, he had now fixed on John again. He approached him from behind. "And it's thickest of all around you, John."

Another chance! John closed his eyes and waited for the Devil to step in front of him. As soon as he did, John put out his hand and released the blast of force he'd been setting up. As a sole offensive manoeuvre, it stood little chance. But with surprise, it might be enough.

It was. Satan let out a yelp of surprise, but slammed into the closed door that backed the circle anyway.

He recovered his composure in seconds. "Now that is just _rude_ ," he said while he straightened his jacket. Then he took a turn around the inside of the circle, appraising it. "Nice work on the circle, though. Well done."

He stopped at a particular rune. "Looks like you were trying to trap a demon." Satan looked up at John. "I thought you might be working with one, but now I'm starting to think they're after _you_."

Now wait one bleeding minute. John fought to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. "Damn right she's after me! I thought your flunky had kicked the buck up the chain."

Satan's head drew back. He jammed his hands in his pockets. "I've never _had_ any flunkies," he said, insulted. "Minions, possibly, but I haven't got many of those anymore either. And the one I have left isn't hunting you. I'd know."

"Minions, flunkies, whatever. I've been outrunning this one since San Diego."

"Yes, I know." Now the Devil's tone was almost one of annoyance. "I've been following the police reports. It's an impressive trail." He turned to face John completely. "You must have done something to summon her. She wouldn't have left Hell otherwise."

John shook his head. "I tried to exorcise her!"

"Well that was a raging success, wasn't it, John?" The Devil's hands came out of his pockets again. He stepped right up to the edge of the circle. "What did you do, use the wrong spell?"

Satan stepped closer, right into John's face. "You set a demon free in the world. You bear responsibility for that, John." His expression now was pure anger. "All those bodies are on you as well."

John took an involuntary step back. He'd dealt with plenty of fearsome opponents before, most of them looking the part, too. But Satan up close and personal, and _angry_ with him, was something else.

"Um… not to interrupt or anything," Thea interrupted. "But weren't you supposed to stay in there?" She indicated the circle.

The Devil threw a casual glance back at the circle and snorted. "It might have held the demon after him." He pointed a thumb at his own chest. "I'm the Devil. Not a demon. That circle has no power over me."

Oh, bollocks. John cursed himself again. This whole mess had been a series of mischance, miscalculations and bloody stupid mistakes. Trying to trap an Archangel, even a Fallen one, in a Demon trap was only the last of them.

"Okay," Oliver interceded. "Let's try and talk this out." He put a hand on Johns arm and gently pulled, until John widened the gap between him and the Devil. Then Oliver put himself between the two of them. He turned to address Satan. "If you're after whoever has been killing people, and that person is after John, then aren't we all on the same side?"

Satan straightened as well. "Perhaps." He inclined his head to Oliver. "I promised to bring the party responsible in to the authorities. We may be able to help each other."

"Promised who?" John, Barry and Laurel asked at the same time.

Oliver gestured to them to be quiet. "That's not the point right now. We can talk. Let's talk" He turned to the Devil, then paused, frowning. "Is there anything I can call you? 'Satan' is a bit dramatic."

Satan had retreated a little too, separating himself from the group. "I've had many names," he said. "But I go by Lucifer Morningstar, these days." He pulled on his cuffs, then straightened his jacket again. "That will do."

"Allright," Oliver confirmed. "Let's start from the beginning. Mr. Morningstar, what brings you to Star City?"

Lucifer again nodded, to acknowledge Oliver's attempt at mediation. "I learned of a series of murders resembling demonic torture." He indicated John. "John Constantine came up as the sole potential suspect. He has a reputation in these matters. I called in a favour to apprise me of his location so I could investigate."

"Thank you." Oliver turned back to John. "John? What's your side of this story?"

"A little girl was possessed. An old friend – a priest - called me in for help with the exorcism. I screwed up, and now the demon's on the loose, and coming after me."

Lucifer frowned. "But it's not coming after you, is it? You're still alive." He shook his head. "If it had wanted to harm you, you'd be dead already."

"I'm not a total idiot at protecting myself," John responded. "Despite the present situation."

"So instead it's going after other people," Lucifer immediately shot back.

"You think I'm happy about that?"

"That's far enough," Oliver intervened again before the situation could escalate. "I've read the police reports, no need to go into detail there."

"Who is it going after instead of John, then?" Barry asked. Everyone's heads snapped over to him. Faced with three matching frowns, he shrugged. "I thought everyone was invited to this conversation."

"It's not a bad question," Laurel backed him up.

Lucifer rattled off a list of names. John recognised all of them. His friend the priest and the mother of the little girl. The woman who had taken him in the night after he'd been forced to flee San Diego. Lots of other people who had provided him with temporary refuge.

"You know what the common factor is, don't you, John?" Lucifer asked.

"Yeah." John slumped. Not like he hadn't realised it before, but hearing it so starkly stated drove the point home. "It's me. Everyone who took me in, ended up dying."

"So is this demon tracking John like you did?" That was Thea's question to Lucifer.

It got her a shake of the head. "Unlikely. It will have ways of tracking people that I… don't wish to make use of. It will have no such compunctions."

Laurel frowned. "So there are ways of tracking someone that John's been close to, that demons can do but we can't?"

"Says who?" Barry piped up again. "We've found ways of tracking metas by the kinds of energy signatures they gave off. We needed satellites and I know John's not a meta, but…"

Lucifer was looking at Barry with a fascination he hadn't shown before. "Well said, Mr. Allen!" He nodded enthousiastically. "Yes, a demon would be able to catch a metaphysical 'scent' off another person, if they decided to go to those lengths."

Nobody had introduced Barry to Morningstar. Constantine decided to stay quiet about that. Lucifer had to have been listening in a lot longer than they'd thought.

"Okay, so we need to get John's scent on one of us and go out as bait… is that the plan?" That was Thea again. "How do we do that?"

"That's a bad plan," Oliver spoke his veto. "I'm not putting any one of you in danger."

"Too late, Oliver," John said. "Because I'm already here." He jabbed a finger at the floor. "If we don't lure her elsewhere, she'll end up here eventually." And that would put all of them in danger. Not that Thea's 'plan' was much better in that regard. Because of course Oliver – or John—wouldn't let anyone go out and be bait without backup.

"The longer you stand there talking, the sooner that will be," Lucifer urged everyone on.

Thea snapped her fingers and held her hand out to Lucifer. "He has a point."

Oliver sighed, shoulders dropping. "Allright." Then he straightened again. "I'll do it, in that case."

The 'I'll do it' had come with an echo. Thea and Laurel had also spoken, at the same time.

"Well, let's spread our chances, then," John said. The best way he knew of to 'spread his metaphysical scent', to use the expensive words, was prolonged physical contact. That… wasn't going to happen right here, so he'd have to go for the closest possible equivalent.

Hey, kissing Oliver Queen. Not such a terrible prospect. Nor Laurel Lance, for that matter.

He patted Oliver on the shoulder beforehand. "Thanks, mate." He went in for the kiss, full on the lips. Oliver didn't respond at first except with a surprised grunt. John hadn't expected anything else, to be honest. But in the end Oliver's lips opened. He was playing along.

Oliver Queen was a surprisingly good kisser for a straight guy.

Laurel got the same treatment. She knew what to expect, so she responded immediately. But she didn't maintain the contact very long. She broke it off after a second. "I think that's enough, don't you, John?" Pity.

He pecked Thea on the cheek. She was a legal adult, but she was still too young for him and she'd already seen enough darkness to be getting on with. No need to put her into further danger.

"Right, once the make-out session is over, shall we continue?" Lucifer was getting impatient. Well, John quite enjoyed making the Devil wait. He shot Oliver a glance. "Want to have another go?"

Oliver shook his head. "Once was enough, John."

"Suit yourself."

-x-

They were back on the streets, in full vigilante gear. They'd started their patrol near the bus station that John had arrived at earlier today. It seemed the most likely place for the demon to show up first and try to catch John's trail.

Oliver and Laurel were out in front, separated to cast as wide a net as possible. Thea was a bit further back. Barry was doing continuous circuits of the area at a speed only he could manage. That left John together with Lucifer. With the Devil. Joy of joys.

Lucifer Morningstar was lounging against the nearest drainpipe. He looked… vaguely bored, but nothing more. Of course, the Devil could be patient. But John had never known demons or angels to show this kind of patience when involved in merely mortal affairs. Which this was, even with the demon element involved on the other side. It was almost as if Lucifer was used to stakeouts.

Lucifer looked over at John. He'd noticed the stare. "What is it?"

"You're a lot less… devilish than you're made out to be."

Lucifer snorted. "We may never have met before, John, but your reputation precedes you. You, of all you humans, should know better than that."

"Sounds like we've both got reputations." John moved to lean against the wall next Lucifer. "Maybe mine is as accurate as yours." He pointed his chin outward. "Seems to me like you could jump in there as the Lord of Hell and order that demon off my back."

Lucifer grinned. It wasn't a humorous grin. It was the toothy grin of a tiger. Or a shark. "Is that right, John Constantine? And what would you do in return for such a favour?"

John swallowed back the fight-or-flight response that bubbled up in his throat. There he was again. The true Devil didn't lie that far under the surface. Tread carefully, Constantine. He kept his voice casual. "That's my problem, innit?" He fished in his pockets for a cigarette. He saw Lucifer eyeing the packet and deliberately didn't offer to share. "It must be important to you to catch this demon if you're calling in favours." He lit his cigarette. "So why call in favours at all?"

"It's none of my business what demons do," Lucifer said. "Not anymore." He sighed. "But then she started killing people. That upset a … friend … of mine. And that makes it my business again." He shot a glare skyward, and John saw the fists balled at his side. "I hate being manipulated into doing my Father's bidding."

There was a lot of information there. John took careful note for future investigation. He didn't get a chance for further interrogation. Barry materialised out of a flash of lightning. "Laurel's in trouble."

-x-

Barry grabbed John's coat and ran him to Laurel's location. John recovered his balance faster, this time.

Laurel had used her sonic weapon a few times already. The upset heaps of garbage were evidence enough of that. Thea and Oliver were also already in place, trying to outflank the demon.

But Laurel and the demon were locked in close combat, fouling their aim. And it made it impossible for John to interfere, too. Well, almost. He started to set up the same circle he'd tried to set up at the lair, forcing himself to ignore the melee going on behind him.

Another scream distracted him. Laurel's Canary Cry really was deafening. John turned around to see the demon standing alone.

She didn't look all that different from Laurel, at first glance. They both went in for the tight black leather look. Where Laurel wore a blond wig, though, this demon had long black hair tied back in a ponytail. It whipped around as she moved to catch first Oliver's, then Thea's arrow. She kept the arrows, one in either hand, holding them as daggers. She sprinted toward Laurel.

Barry flashed in, pushing her off course. He paid the price. Despite his speed, he was thrown aside.

John finished the final strokes on his circle. At the same time, as if he'd waited for the exact moment, Lucifer strode into the fray.

He looked like he was setting a firm walking pace, yet he moved faster than the demon at a sprint. Lucifer bypassed the prone Barry and intercepted the demon before she could reach Laurel again.

He gave one shove, and the demon stumbled into John's circle. The runes lit up with a cold blue glow. The whole team ran to surround the circle and the demon, should she try to escape.

But the demon had stopped struggling. Instead, she kneeled within the circle. "My Lord," she addressed Lucifer.

"Tyrazameen, granddaughter of Lilith," Lucifer acknowledged her. "Get up. I'm not your lord any longer." His behaviour belied his words. He stood before her, regal as any king.

When 'Tyrazameen' didn't make any move to comply, Lucifer started walking. He traced a path with a measured pace. It forced Tyrazameen to get up if she wanted to keep him in sight. Once she had straightened, he stepped closer to the circle. "This isn't Hell, Tyra. People's limbs and organs don't grow back after you cut them out."

The demon grinned, showing teeth. She was wearing a human face, but there was nothing human about her expression. "I know, my Lord." She closed her eyes and pulled her lips in, as if she recalled the taste of a great meal. She even licked her lips before she spoke. "It's much more delicious, this way."

"Hmm." Lucifer gave a single nod, then resumed pacing around the circle. "Remind me of the oaths your family swore when you were granted refuge in Hell."

The demon's expression darkened. "To not come to the human realms unless summoned," she said sullenly. But then she straightened, pulled back her shoulders and faced Lucifer like a soldier. "But I was summoned, my Lord. And then released by a sorcerer."

"So I gather." Lucifer held his hand out toward John. "Is that the sorcerer?" At her affirmation, he stepped aside. "Then he's all yours. Go get him."

"Hey now," John protested. Tyrazameen took one step in his direction, but was stopped by a wall of blue light. It sprang up right at the edge of John's trap circle. John let out a breath. At least the bloody thing did some good.

Lucifer moved in front of Tyrazameen again. "But what about all the other people, Tyra?" He looked into her eyes. "They didn't summon you. They didn't even assist in the summoning. They didn't deserve torture, let alone death."

Tyrazameen shrugged. "It was more fun to watch him suffer," she said, then smiled and licked her lips again. "And their screams were delightful."

"I can't let you do that," Lucifer responded. "No killing innocents, was your vow. You broke your word."

Now the demon snarled at him. "You say you're not my lord anymore. Then why do you hold me to my word?" She lunged out at Lucifer. The blue wall flickered, but held. Then she lunged again, leading with Oliver's arrow. And the barrier shattered.

Lucifer caught her hand. Although Tyrazameen struggled, she couldn't get free. He twisted her arm until it was behind her back. He was now all but embracing the demon from behind. "You didn't make that vow just to me," he said into her ear. From the sound of it, it was coming through gritted teeth.

Lucifer looked up, finding all of the team in turn. "You may want to avert your eyes for this," he warned. John had never been one to heed a fair warning. He kept his eyes open.

From Lucifer's back, a pair of great wings unfurled. They spread wide, showing diamond-tipped primaries and a soft, golden glow infusing their entire surface.

Constantine had seen angels before, but this was different. The other angels he'd seen couldn't match this beaty. The glow intensified until the wings truly gave off light, a warm, hopeful brightness. John felt a weight lift off his heart. Even for him, there might be hope. Off to the side, John heard Thea sigh with relief. Someone else who hadn't shut their eyes, then.

But the light kept changing, growing colder. Lucifer snapped his wings forward, surrounding him and the demon. Now all John could see was the light those wings kept giving off - a light that exposed everything. The cold harsh light of judgment.

This had been a mistake. It hadn't been the plan, but John had goaded the Archangel of Judgment to come out of retirement. How could he ever have imagined he'd escape that judgment? John swallowed back bile. Beside him, Thea was sobbing.

As gradually as it had begun, so quickly it was over. The light disappeared and so did the wings. That left Lucifer, standing over Tyrazameen. She had fainted in his arms. He gently lowered her to the ground.

-x-

Oliver had caught his sister in a hug. Thea had her brother to comfort her. She'd be alright, probably. Laurel was approaching cautiously from the other side. She had seen something, but not everything. She'd be running, in that case. Barry had disappeared somewhere.

John decided to approach as well. If Satan meant to judge him, too, then there was nothing he could do to escape it. He should see this through.

Lucifer had kneeled next to the unconscious demon. He was checking her for injuries. As Laurel came to a halt next to him, he looked up. "Handcuffs?"

Laurel felt around in a pocket and came up with a few zip ties. Lucifer relieved Tyrazameen of all her weapons. Then he used the ties to secure Tyrazameen's hands in front of her. He looked down at his handiwork, shaking his head.

"If she wants to stay on earth, let's see how she does as a human," he said. Lucifer levered himself to his feet, looking at both Laurel and John in turn. "She should be delivered to the authorities. With evidence that she's the murderer the FBI is looking for."

"We've got connections," Laurel said. "We can manage that."

"Thank you," Lucifer said, addressing Laurel. He looked tired. No, he looked exhausted. Whatever he'd done, it had taken a lot out of him.

Lucifer caught sight of Thea, just barely recovered in Oliver's arms. "Time for me to leave."

He started moving, but turned back. He speared John with a stern glare. "I didn't do this for you, John, but I did you a favour nonetheless. I will collect."

Then he was gone.

-x-

Chloe felt her eyebrows rise ever further as she read the new police reports relating to the serial butcher case. A woman had been delivered into the Star City main precinct. At the same time, evidence started popping up on computers everywhere. It tied this woman to the murder. She hadn't actually confessed, but the preponderance of evidence at this point was sufficient to send her to federal prison for a long, long time.

They'd caught the killer. And it hadn't been John Constantine.

It seemed that Lucifer's business, too, had been something else after all. If he'd been involved, his name would have shown up somewhere in those police reports. It wasn't as if the guy was ever low profile.

Speaking of….

Her partner approached her desk, two mugs of coffee in his hands. "Good morning, Detective."

She accepted a mug with a nod of thanks. "How was your business trip? Did those friends with 'interesting' skills pan out?"

Lucifer tried for a smile. "They were quite skilled, indeed. But I doubt much will come of it." He dropped into the chair opposite her desk, and took a sip of his coffee. "I felt utterly used, afterwards."


End file.
